Chili paste can be used on top of dishes or as an ingredient in recipes. Chili paste is often used in Asian cuisine, but can be used in any dish you wish to add fresh and spicy taste to. Chili paste can include additional ingredients such as fermented soy beans, salt, vinegar, lime juice or garlic. These ingredients create pungency and add not only heat, but also add an extra punch of flavor to the dishes the chili paste is used in.
Use the same amount of chili paste instead of hot sauce, where hot sauce is called for in recipes.
Add a few teaspoons of chili paste to taste, to broths, soups, stews, sauces and meat marinades to add a fresh spicy flavor.
Add one part chili paste to three parts soy sauce and stir it in well to make a spicy Asian dipping sauce. Add two parts oyster sauce to thicken the sauce, or to use the sauce as an Asian chicken marinade.
Serve chili paste alone in place of a dipping sauce, or add one part chili paste to four parts ketchup or mayonnaise to make a spicy dipping sauce or spread.
Add 1 to 2 tsp. of chili paste, depending on your desired level of heat, to meatloaf, meatballs or spaghetti sauce.
Spoon the chili paste out of the bottle and stir it in well to the recipe so that no red chunks of chili paste can be seen.